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M3 Rock Festival Review

Published

6 years ago

May 9, 2018

Ron

Merriweather Post Pavillon
May 4&5th 2018

Article by: Ron Senyo
Photos by: Shane K Gardner AKA Rock and Roll Socialite

IT was that time of year again for big hair, tight pants and kick ass metal. Yes Maryland the time has come for the 10th annual M3 Festival.

Day one started at 430 sharp with Pretty Boy Floyd, which I missed their set waiting to get into the venue, as so did many others, but on Saturday the boys were out and about doing photos so I got to meet and grab a quick photo with them.

Nelson was the next act up. Gunnar and his brother Matthew still sound just as amazing as they did years ago. Nelson opened up with I can Hardly Wait. They played Just Once More which they wrote and dedicated to their mother who recently just passed away. Nelson ended the night with Garden Party with Frank Hannon Of Tesla which was a song Ricky Nelson father of the boys did previously and Whole lotta Love by Led Zeppelin

It was about time for some Sleaziness with the boys of Faster Pussycat. Taime Downe was back in action and the gang killed it. With clean and wholesome family friendly songs like Slip of the Tongue and Bathroom Wall, Faster Pussycat always delivers. They also did a cover of You’re so vain by Carly Simon and Shut up and Fuck by Betty Blowtorch. Like I said perfect songs to share with the whole family.

Y&T hit the stage next, with Dave Meniketti the only surviving member of the original band. This was my first time seeing Y&T and they didn’t disappoint. Dave can still kill on the guitar and vocals. Mean Streak is still such a great song and sounds amazing live. Hang em High was on point and I’ll cry for you, made us shred a tear for those who have fallen before us. Was such a great set from the Y&T guys.

Hometown boys Kix were set to go on next which was a little odd being that Kix usually ends the first night, since they have played every show so far at M3. Singer Steve Whiteman is a hoot. He was wearing pants that had a zipper from the crotch to the ass, and said those were hit shitting pants because he can unzip them and just shit and zip it back up without taking them off. Guitarist Ronnie Younkins was back onstage this year after missing last year. Kix was playing the full album of Blow My Fuse which was the 30th anniversary of the album. Piece of the Pie is a song they said they have never played once, they recorded it and then that’s it. When playing Cold Blood Steve let the audience sing a part, one guy just went “yeahhh, woooo” and Steve is like it not sure that’s how it goes, anyone else and the next person said “ Cold Blood is all you need” way way out of key, and Steve then again said doesn’t anyone know the words to this song. At the end of the set Kix brought out big ass balloons and pop them on stage with a huge mallet and tossed some into the crowd.

The last one to close out the night was Tom Kiefer Of Cinderella fame. Kiefer with his long soaked and somewhat curly jet black hair reminded me of Benicio del toros role in Sin City. Keifer still sounds amazing though, and played all the songs that I and the crowd wanted to hear. My favorite of the night had to be Nobody’s Fool and Gypsy Road. Kiefer also played a version of Help from my friends by the Beatles. It was a great end to a great night. If this was only day one I was excited to see what day two was going to bring.

Day Two started off at 11am with Tyketto. I wasn’t too familiar with this band, but they kicked some major butt starting off the second day of the festival and oh so early. Tyketto played songs like Forever Young and Lay your Body Down.

Warrant was up next and they did a stripped down set. The band sat down on stools and jammed for us, unscripted. Singer Robert Mason was doing double duties today he would later come back out with Lynch Mob. Warrant played Classics like Heaven, Uncle Tom’s Cabin and of course they played Cherry Pie. It was cool to see this version of Warrant, it felt more intimate although at a festival.

After Warrant, a couple came onto the stage and got married. This has been a tradition for as many of these M3 festivals I’ve been too. It’s nice and sweet and hell of a place to do it.

Great White came onto the stage next, now I’ve only ever seen Jack Russel’s versions of this band before, so I was excited to see what Singer Terry Ilous was going to bring to the table. I just recently seen Jacks version and to be honest I prefer his, but this Great White is still just as good and talented as the other. Of course Great White played Rock Me and Once Bitten, Twice Shy.

Last in Line was coming up next and I was excited to see this band as well, I’ve never seen them before and I’m a huge Vinnie Appice fan and they do a lot of Dio songs for which the band is mostly made up of original Dio members which I find perfect because I worship Ronnie James Dio. Singer Andrew Freeman rips on the vocals. Some of my favorite songs were played like Holy Diver, Rainbow in the dark, and ending the set with We Rock, which in fact was accurate.

Lynch Mob was now up to the plate. Guitarist George Lynch known from his time with Dokken, still shreds like a mad man. Robert Mason was back on stage again this time ready to kick some ass. Playing a mix of songs like Street Fightin Man, River of Love and throwing in some killer Dokken songs like It’s not Love and Alone again. Lynch Mob absolutely killed it and things at M3 we’re staring to get Hot.

Stryper was on the stage next, and this was my first time seeing the band, and I always known they were a heavily Christian band I was shocked when I found out the new album was titled God Damn Evil because I was always under the impression that’s blasphemous which I find amusing. Stryper was awesome though and even though they weren’t wearing the bumble bee suits they still rocked it. Ending the set with To Hell with the Devil makes me laugh with a lot of 80s hair metal bands and metal bands in general that use a lot of demonic undertones.

Now the next band is probably my favorite that played this festival, now they weren’t before the fest but after seeing the craziest drummer ever, they are now. Slaughter was up and that drummer Zoltan Chaney is the wildest drummer alive. He was all over the place running around hitting the drums, jumping of speakers. He was the entertainment for tonight. Singer Mark Slaughter still has the sound and skill. Mark also was a super cool guy, he came out after his set and signed autographs and took photos with the fans right next to the merch booth. Slaughter ended the night with the iconic song Up all Night.

Following that was one of my other idols of the genre when I was growing up. Sebastian Bach who was the singer of Skid Row. Sebastian didn’t waste too much time taking which he was mad about because he loves to talk but wanted to give us fans as many songs as he could during the time they had, and boy did they ever. Bach played so many bad ass tunes like Pieces of Me, 18 and Life, I Remember You, RattleSnake Shake, Monkey Business and a Motley Crue cover of Shout at the Devil and ending with Youth Gone Wild. It was amazing, Sebastian looked great and sounded great and reminded me why I always said he was my favorite singer of the genre.

It was now time for The Original Spaceman, the one and the only Ace Frehley. Now I’m not 100% sure but some were to say that Ace was a little under the bottle, even though he claimed to be sober. Either way he still played that guitar like a pro. Ace played a bunch of KISS songs which for me I’ve never had the privilege to see Ace with KISS so I was in awe. Ace played Love Gun, Shock Me, Cold Gin, Detroit Rock City and ended with Deuce. It was amazing and makes me hope and pray that we can get a reunion KISS tour.

NightRanger was next and again another band that I’ve never seen before. I was digging the set. It was starting to get late in the night and getting a little crazy from being up so late that we started to change songs and took the song High Enough and changed the words to, “Can you take me Hugh Hefner”. It was great. NightRanger also played Sister Christian which we changed the title of that song but not going to elaborate on that one. I didn’t realize the band had ties with Ted Nugent and Damn Yankees until they played Coming of Age and It was…nice.

Closing out the night was Queensrÿche, which before they took the stage I had the honor of interviewing guitarist Micheal Wilton and singer Todd La Torre (which we will be on the website soon also). This was my first time seeing Queensrÿche with Todd in it, I’ve only seen the band once and it was with Geoff Tate. Queensrÿche had a killer setlist, which my friend and singer of Wrath Of Typhon (he’s a huge Queensrÿche fan) thought was an amazing set list and telling me what song was playing and singing along to every word. My favorites though of the night would have to be The Whisper, Queen of the Reich, Jet City Woman and Empire( which you can say I’m a little biased on that song) Queensrÿche ended the festival with Eyes of a Stranger which was the perfect ending to an amazing fest.

Even though Friday was super hot and the sun was blazing and Saturday we had to deal with rain and clouds all day, the festival was another success. I always enjoy the music, the hanging with friends and meeting new ones. I can’t wait to see what’s in-store for next year. Until then I hope that the 80s Hair Metal scene never dies or at least will always be alive and well in Maryland.

About Author

Ron

Ron has keen eye for new talent, a love for the underground, and a tremendous passion for music of any genera. You’ll probably bump into him at a horror convention or some seedy club checking out the next need-to-know band.

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Empire Show Review

Classless Act Live Pittsburgh PA

Published

2 years ago

August 15, 2022

Josh Drespling

PNC Park August 12 2022

Oh what fun! To be a fledgling band sharing stadium stages with the years biggest tour featuring the icons of Def Leppard, legends of Motley Crue, the feel good rockers Poison and of course Joan Jett.

With a vintage sound that pulls equally from Led Zepplin and the LA metal scene Classless Act is poised to dominate your playlists and burst onto rock radio. Don’t let the dated references deter from joining the party, as this band is full of energy, personality, and most of all musical chops. Formed in 2019 the five piece released their debut album Welcome To The Show in June via Better Noise Music and are now living out the dream on every new band.

If you want to see real music played by real people get to the stadium early and catch Classless Act perform their energetic 18 minute set (not one minute more, not one minute less). They warmed up the crowd in Pittsburgh, PA this past weekend under the blazing sun. Below are some photos of their set.

About Author

Josh Drespling

Josh is the Publisher and creator of Empire Extreme and it’s sister publication Kingdom Extreme Magazine. He is an accomplished writer, photographer and graphic designer. He is always conjuring up new ideas and has a amazing passion for the music industry and all the things that surround it.

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Inkcarceration 2022

Published

2 years ago

March 9, 2022

Ron

After debuting a massive revamp of the festival grounds in 2021 and welcoming a record-breaking crowd of 75,000 people, Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival aims to make the 2022 edition the biggest one yet. Over the weekend of July 15-17, music fans will converge for three days of nonstop music, tattooing, haunted attractions, and more, all held on the historic grounds of the Ohio State Reformatory (made famous by the movie The Shawshank Redemption) located in Mansfield, Ohio. The headliners include rock and metal giants Korn, Disturbed, Breaking Benjamin and Evanescence with the weekend also offering must-see performances from, Lamb Of God, Papa Roach, Seether, Falling In Reverse, Three Days Grace, I Prevail, Black Label Society, Theory Of A Deadman, Black Veil Brides, Jelly Roll and many more. The event continues the ongoing partnership of America’s largest independent festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents and the creators of Inkcarceration, who together produce an event like no other. Passes for the 2021 event sold out in the first week, marking the fastest sellout in the festival’s history, so fans are encouraged to buy early for 2022 to reserve their spot for one of the most anticipated events of the summer. Single day and weekend passes for Inkcarceration 2022 are on sale now at www.Inkcarceration.com, starting at $164.99 plus fees. Fans can secure passes for only $22 down now through March 15. Watch the Inkcarceration festival announce video here. Says David Draiman of Disturbed, “We are thrilled to be playing on the historic and hallowed grounds of the Ohio State Reformatory for our first Inkcarceration. Ohio, Are You Ready?” Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix adds, “We are excited to be part of Inkcarceration this year. Epic lineup, can’t wait to see all you Inkmates!” Inkcarceration co-founder Daniel Janssen says, “The 2022 edition will be, by far, our most ambitious year yet. The partnership with the Danny Wimmer Presents team has really enhanced all aspects of the festival and fan experience. Seeing the excitement this event continues to bring to this state and city of Mansfield, along with the fan support from all over the country, makes me so proud to call Ohio my home.” The current Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival 2022 lineup is as follows (subject to change): Friday, July 15: Korn, Papa Roach, Three Days Grace, I Prevail, (To Be Announced),Sleeping With Sirens, Code Orange, Lacuna Coil, From Ashes To New, Born of Osiris, DED, Oxymorrons, Spoken, As You Were, Paul Bartolome, Fate Destroyed, Impending Lies, Plainview, Zakk Cash Saturday, July 16: Breaking Benjamin, Evanescence, Falling In Reverse, Black Label Society, Theory Of A Deadman, Avatar, Spiritbox, Saint Asonia, Ayron Jones, Volumes, Solence, Siiickbrain, If I Die First, Widow7, Paralandra, All’s Fair, Erasing Never, Farewell to Fear, Nearly Spent Sunday, July 17: Disturbed, Lamb Of God, Seether, Black Veil Brides, Jelly Roll, Nothing More, 10 Years, Sick Puppies, John 5, Butcher Babies, Fire From The Gods, Veil of Maya, Gemini Syndrome, The Violent, Defying Decay, Dreamwalker, Alukah, WoR, Darkhorse Saloon In addition to enjoying the diverse music lineup, fans will be able to partake in the onsite tattoo convention and book appointments with more than 30 tattoo shops and artists. Nightly tattoo competitions will be judged by musician and Big Brother alum Jenncity, actor Robert LaSardo and tattooist Caleb Neff. As well, there will be complimentary tours of the famous Ohio State Reformatory prison. Onsite, there will also be gourmet food, a wide selection of beverages, camping and the return of the award-winning Haunted House attraction Blood Prison (https://www.bloodprison.com/), for additional purchase. Single day, weekend general admission and VIP passes for Inkcarceration are on sale now, with single day GA passes starting at $79.99 plus fees, single day VIP passes starting at $189.99 plus fees, weekend GA passes starting at $164.99 plus fees and weekend VIP passes starting at $449.99 plus fees. Weekend VIP passes already sold out in the early bird phase, so festivalgoers are encouraged to buy early and save, as pass prices will increase in the coming weeks. A limited number of specially priced passes for military personnel are on sale now via GovX. Weekend Camping Packages are available for both car + tent and RVs. General Weekend Tent Camping starts at $225 and includes 500 square feet of space for two people, access to the A/C Camping Lounge, optional breakfast, lunch and drinks available for purchase, dedicated shuttles to and from the festival, re-entry during the festival via the camping shuttles, access to Camping Hydration Station, and access to showers and restrooms. General Weekend RV Camping starts at $380 and includes the same amenities as Tent Camping. RV sites with hookups for electric and water are also available for purchase. Admission to the festival is not included in Weekend Camping Packages and must be purchased separately. Hotel packages, bundling hotel nights and festival passes into one purchase, are also available. All festival passes, including Hotel Packages and Camping, may be purchased at https://inkcarceration.com/passes/.
VIP passes offer the best way to enjoy the fest, including a commemorative VIP laminate and wristband, dedicated entrance lanes into the festival and entrance into the VIP area, which includes an elevated and shaded viewing deck, an air-conditioned lounge with comfortable furniture, and audio and video streams of the main stages. Other VIP amenities include: a dedicated merchandise stand, dedicated VIP locker rental with charging capabilities (for additional purchase), air-conditioned & flushable restrooms, and premium food & drink offerings (for additional purchase). Ohio State Reformatory’s historic building and grounds provide a perfect setting for Inkcarceration. The massive, awe-inspiring locale is recognized as not only one of the most haunted reformatories in the country, but also as the filming location for multiple Hollywood films. The most famous of these is the 1994 classic and IMDB highest rated movie of all time, The Shawshank Redemption. The Ohio State Reformatory is centrally located, about an hour from Cleveland, Columbus and Canton/Akron, and within a three-hour drive from Toledo, Dayton, Cincinnati, Youngstown, and parts of West Virginia, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Now returning for its fourth year after launching in 2018, Inkcarceration nearly tripled its inaugural year’s attendance in 2019, drawing 45,000 fans from nearly all 50 states, and welcomed a record-breaking crowd of 75,000 in 2021 after changing the layout of the event to allow for greater capacity. Inkcarceration has been awarded Mansfield’s Tourism Award of Excellence, and has been recognized by the United States House of Representatives, Ohio Senate, State of Ohio Representatives and Congressional Proclamation. Inkcarceration is proud to partner with Bud Light, Bud Light Seltzer, Monaco Cocktail, Bulleit Bourbon, RV Wholesalers and Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey. More partners and experiences will be announced closer to the event. Inkcarceration is co-produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, one of the largest independent producers of destination music festivals in America, and Reinkcarceration LLC, a partnership that formed with the original founders of INK in 2021. For more information on Inkcarceration please visit:Website: www.Inkcarceration.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/InkcarcerationfestivalTwitter: https://twitter.com/InkcarFestivalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inkcarcerationfestival/Hashtag: #inkcarceration

About Author

Ron

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Society 1 Takes On Second Lock-down Challenge

Published

4 years ago

April 21, 2020

Josh Drespling

Sammy Hagar and his CIRCLE band mates are using the Coronavirus downtime to release new music and video calling it the “Lockdown Challenge” which developed quickly into the “Lockdown Sessions”. The four musicians connected via their smartphones from four separate locations to record a brand new song and covers.

Upon seeing Hagar’s continued output of material Society 1 frontman Matt Zane was fascinated by this new but hopefully temporary medium of music and video creation. Zane’s band mates Jimmy Minj (Bass), Johnny Pilz (Guitar) and Zhenya Pro (Drums) were once again on board and went to work.

“When else are you going to have chance to create in this way in these circumstances? Why not go for it, get creative and see what happens?” said Zane

Zane and his band members once again worked on ideas sharing them through video conferencing ultimately crafting a new song called “I Reach Through”.

“No studio, 100% recorded from home. No producer. We just gathered some unfinished ideas that were around, bounced some new ideas off each other and just did it. It’s so immediate from start to finish. Definitely a unique change of pace. “

Check out the new track and video by Society 1 below: